Guided By Spirit

Picture by Kelody Fey

Where should I start? I paused, closed my eyes, and opened myself up to my guides. MY GUIDES!!! How silly of me not to start there, with my guides.

            I have built relationships with several spirit guides. It all began when I went to see a medium, Amber Poole- The Chakra Diva, and continued to learn from her on and off through her social media posts, 1:1 readings, and workshops. I will be creating a separate post about my experiences with her! This medium spoke of the guides we can have in our spiritual orbit. One of the most important tidbits she shared was that we can build our own team of spirit guides to help us along our journeys. Spirit guides are present to help and protect us. They can take almost any form. I will do my best to provide some examples of how I have interacted with them.

There are many avenues to meeting and identifying guides. Often, I have experienced synchronicities, whether that be seeing symbols or hearing info related to them, over and over that lead me to researching a specific guide. I have also met them through meditation/altered states of consciousness geared to meeting guides. There are many websites, books, oracle card decks that are available for further research. Below are common types of Spirit Guides you might encounter.

            Ascended Masters: These are people thought to have existed here on earth who transcended into higher vibrational planes. Jesus Christ and the saints could be considered Ascended Masters, along with those like the Buddha. While I don’t consider myself Christian anymore, I still believe Jesus Christ is an Ascended Master.  I currently don’t work with an ascended master, but maybe one day.

            Ancestors: Our deceased loved ones, whether we personally knew them or not, are often watching over us as spirit guides. My grandfather died when I was 7 and he had a great impact on me and my musical life. I remember praying to him that I would get into a show choir I auditioned for in middle school. He delivered. This is one of my earliest times I remember working with my ancestors. I currently don’t consider a specific deceased loved one as a guide right now, but I have prayed to them in the past petitioning them to grant me wishes and fulfill hopes. In a way, I think they are automatically on your team whether we realize it or not! I talk to them all the time.

            Angels: Most people have heard of the term “guardian angel” and it can be very true for some. In my work with the medium, she shared Archangel Michael is one of my main angels. There are a range of Archangels that you can work with for various needs. Once, when meditating, I believe I connected with Archangel Chamel. I kept seeing pink in my minds eye and the beginning of the name. I was also told Archangel Raziel was working with me. I kept seeing rainbows everywhere, which is one of his signs. Even to this day, when I see a rainbow, I think of this Archangel Raziel. I don’t have a intentional working relationship with them right now, but I know my Angels are always nearby.

Animals: If you see certain animals over and over again, the spirit of that animal might be trying to get your attention. Or maybe you just have a strong love for a particular type of animal and it holds a special meaning for you. These spirit animals can come and go. For me, I continue to have a wolf, bear, owl, and dragonfly on my team. To me the wolf represents the maiden goddess, the bear the mother goddess, the owl the crone goddess, and the dragonfly is spirit in general. I met them on a guided imagery journey. I often imagine them sitting with me at a table when I prepare to pull tarot cards.

Above is a picture of a dragonfly. The day before taking this picture, I had been doing a meditation to connect with spirit guides. I got the impression of a dragonfly. I was unsure of myself and doubting my instincts. The next day as I left my house, BAM this huge dragonfly was on the frame of my front door. I lived in the city at the time and it seemed very out of place. I got the message loud and clear that the dragonfly spirit was with me.

Deity: You might call to the Gods and Goddesses or they might come calling you. I consider Hecate one of my spirit guides. I will be sharing a personal reflection on this relationship at a later date. I will also be sharing more about deity work in a longer post, since relationships with them can be more involved.

Elementals: The elementals are beings that represent each of the four elements: Air, Fire, Water, Earth. Sylphs represent the realm of air, Salamanders represent fire, Undines represent water, and Gnomes represent earth.

*There are other spiritual beings such as mythological creatures- mermaids, unicorns, dragons- that can become spirit guides as well. I once felt compelled to research Pegasus! I believe I might have fairies nearby me at times. I used to draw them when I was younger. I have a beloved fairy statue my grandmother gave me. I hope to build my relationship with them in the future. That might become a future topic!

Gatekeepers: The medium I have worked with mentioned gatekeepers. Mediums often work with them almost like a bouncer at a club. They help protect you as you interact with other spirts. I believe I have two. Barni is a scary looking demon-like figure with two big horns all in black, but his spirit feels like a teddy bear to me. The medium mentioned they often look a bit scary in order to ward off unwanted contact. The other is Ranger, a dog that morphs into an Egyptian warrior. I met him while completing “The Inner Guide Meditation” written by Edwin C. Steinbrecher. He often accompanies me on other meditations, pathworkings now.

Nature: You can connect with the spirits of plants, earth, winds, and water. Plant spirits are popular for many. I have yet to personally explore this, but I have read that others find deep connections with trees and various herbs they use in their spiritual and/or witchcraft practices. I know there are several Tarot and Oracles decks that incorporate plant spirit and energy into them. I don’t have the greenest thumb, but I appreciate a beautiful flower garden. This year, one of my goals is to plant wildflowers and spend more time walking in nature…and see who I might meet.

Create your own: Yes, if you want, you can create and build your own guide. Think about what you need in a guide and imagine them from head to toe. Create a story for them. That gives me another great idea for a future post! You actually already have your own unique spirit guide in the form of your Higher Self. The “higher self” is your spiritual/energetic essence that is not influenced by the ego or the material world. Next week, I will be sharing a drawing I completed inspired by my Higher Self.

So, once you assemble the team, how do you communicate and work with them? It is very simple: talk to them. Talking to your spirit team can be like having a conversation with them in your mind’s eye or imagination. This can also be framed as a meditation or guided journey to meet with your spirit guide. You can journal your conversations with them. I connect and commune with them through divination such as tarot and oracle cards. I also ask them to be present when I am utilizing pendulums. They often come to join me on meditations.

Each spirit guide will have their own symbols/signs that might show up in the material world that will let you know they are around- feathers, certain numbers, colors, etc. You can tell your guides what you are hoping to see! Remain aware of your surroundings and how others might be a conduit for your spirit guides to communicate messages to you. There have many times, when I am talking with someone else and they are sharing some deep valuable wisdom and words with me. Deep down, I get a feeling it is one of my guides speaking to me through others. Sometimes, I feel that they talk to me through the music I listen to. They might come through automatic writing when I am journaling.

Each spirit will also have certain gifts or areas of wisdom they have an affinity for. You might find this type of information online, in books, or from tales of the past. However, you can always develop your associations. For example, my owl spirit guide is one of wisdom. Someone else might associate owls with the hunt. I am dedicated to Hecate not only because she is the Goddess of Witchcraft, but also because she is able to help guide those in the underworld. Dogs are associated with her. When I am out and about working and I get to meet a dog, I make sure to pet it if able in honor of her.

Spirit guides can be put to many tasks and in return you should be thanking them. One way is to continue communication with them expressing your appreciation in the moment while you are working with them. They also appreciate offerings, which can be a range of things. You can discuss with them what they like: food, drink, trinkets, incense, acts of service (picking up litter, volunteering related to their causes), creating altar/special spaces for them. 

Be open and creative in your connection with spirit! What experiences have you had with spirit guides?